Rival Vivaldi Biopics Planned

Two biopics about legendary Baroque composer Antonio Vivaldi are going head-to-head according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Claire Foy (“Season of the Witch”) and Max Irons (“Red Riding Hood”) are attached to star in the Boris Damast-helmed version for Celsius Entertainment which is is set to begin shooting this September in Venice, Hungary, Germany and Bruges.

That puts it ahead of the Patricia Riggen-directed “Vivaldi” starring Jessica Biel, Ben Kingsley, Luke Evans and violin supremo David Garrett. Though already having scored $3 million in production subsidies, a production date has yet to be set on that version.

Damast’s take tells the true story of how the composer turned a group of women, who were the illegitimate daughters of courtesans, into an orchestra that eventually played for the Pope. Riggen’s focuses on the composer’s struggle between his devotion to his music and the priesthood, and his love for a woman.